Mark, You must be kidding. You sound like George Bush asking privacy for meetings between him and his staff and Enron. As a voter, I absolutely want to know what a candidate has been doing these past couple of years. Of course, I do not want him/her to divulge arrest record, but I want to know if they were working for Epstein, Becker & Green... I also want to know their view on many issues such as racism, us imperialism in the world, universal health care, etc... Furthermore, I want them to sign a pledge to attest to that they will abide by their word or we can kick them out. Please see below a document in the working by the New York area: The New Station Board Early tasks : Pre-dissolution of the PNB  Organize itself : 1. Election of officers 2. Definition of role of officers 3. Formalization of meeting procedures 4. Schedules of events Fund raising, meetings 5. Sub-committees 6. Arbitrate/monitor quality of programms with listeners  Temporary guidelines : pending development of by-laws by elected board  Self-Education : 1. Station issues 2. Outreach to listeners : e.g. Organize listener informationals 3. Evaluate 1st election process and outcome 4. Redesign and conduct second election Post-dissolution of the PNB  Send two reps who continue to be members of the local board to the= PNB  Monitor decision making and process of the PNB  Fund raising no grants (specially from CPB)  Hire and fire the General Manager in consultation with staff and listener/listener group  Participate with staff and listeners in the establishment of a program committee and the hiring of the Program Manager  Report to listener in unison sometimes with station's management I - Station Board Composition and Term  Listener vote for listener and staff vote for staff Proposal for= proportional representation for staff as well  17 Listener seats and 4 producer seats  Three year term term limit II - Job Description of a Local Board Member (Derived from Pacifica By-Laws as of 1998) The elected station board will act as the duly constituted local station advisory board for WBAI. Membership on the Board involves attending Board meetings at least bi-monthly as well as participating in committee meetings. The Board is designed to assist and advise the general manager: including input on approved plans and the budget; to be a bridge between the station and the listener community; to participate in fundraising activities; to participate in the search and evaluation of the station manager; and to perform other related tasks. Chief among these, and a central part of the Board function, is to assess the needs of the communities that WBAI was founded to serve and whether programming meets those needs. Summary Wishfull thinking  Elect two members to PNB  Attend board meetings bi-monthly  Participate actively in a committee and attend its meetings  Assist and advise the Station Manager  Report to listeners and the community  Evaluate the station's achievement as related to the Pacifica original mission : 1. Meeting the programming needs of the community  Actively initiate and participate in fundraising for the station  Assess the needs of the community and make recommendations to program director (group) and review the assessment annually  Actively assist in the expansion of the listenership, especially i= n the under-represented communites  Liaison between WBAI and other signal areas  Represent the station before the communities-world  Receive and consider public input into planning and decision-makin= g in developping programming which meets the needs and interests of the community  To serve on a panel with listeners, who assist and the station board in the differentiation of hate speech from other speech, which panel to be convened if and when ever such consideration becomes necessary, arising from a crisis on or off the air  Contribute expertise i.e. Law, accounting, organizing,  Appoint a standing committee to prepare and present a report to th= e listeners, annually, for approval (a mission review). The mission review would evaluate the station's achievement in : 1. Conforming to the founding principles of the Pacifica Foundation 2. Meeting the programming needs of the community 3. Meeting its programming goals 4. Providing educational and cultural services to the community Advisory Notes: Candidates should be aware of the history and current issues and climate of struggle surrounding WBAI, the Board, and the National Governing Board. Candidates not immediately seated to a two- year term in this election may subsequently be seated as vacancies occur. Until a by-law change in February 1999, the Board elected 2 of its members to the National Governing Board. Currently, the Board has taken on the additional task of democratizing itself. III - Candidate Pledge As a candidate for the WBAI station board, I pledge to observe the following in order to keep the process as open, accountable and fair as possible: 1. I will complete the ballot questionnaire in its entirety and make every reasonable attempt to participate in the official candidates' on-air forum. 2. If I have any access to the airwaves, at WBAI or elsewhere, or to mass communication outlets of any sort, not to use that access to promote my candidacy for this board, and to campaign only through use of the official media provided. 3. If I am participating in the election committees, I will fully disclose the nature of those activities, and desist from any that are, or are perceived to be, a conflict of interest. 4. I will disclose fully any organizations that are known to be supportive of my campaign. This candidate pledge Signature __________________________________________________________________ Date _____________________________________________________________________ IV - Questionnaire and Statement for Candidates for Election to the WBAI Local Station Board Candidates: Use a separate sheet to answer the questions below and for your statement; electronic submissions with hardcopies are welcomed. The Election Committee must receive a completed petition, pledge sheet, questionnaire, and statement by ______________. Please give honest, considered, concise and visionary responses to the seven questions below. Your responses will be posted on the Election website, will be mailed to the voters and will provide a basis for discussion during the planned forums. (Please make and keep copies of any documents that you send us.) Questions : (Should all questions be optional) 1. Please state your race, sex, ethnic background, your mother language, 2. Please provide a brief background statement with the skills, experiences and connection with the station that you would bring to this Board as a member. 3. The impetus to democratize the WBAI Board has come from community recognition of the importance of preserving and protecting this station - now and into the future. Please describe briefly your perception of the value of WBAI to THE New York Metropolitan area. 4. Describe a program you would like presented on the air and why. 5. How could the station better serve its listeners? 6. What, in your opinion, is the proper role and responsibilities of a Board member? 7. Describe some actions you would take to increase the influence of the station in under-represented communities (linguistic, ethnic, cultural etc) and to increase the diversity of the listening audience? 8. How do you envision the station board working with Pacifica, WBAI, the community and handling internal issues? 9. What local communities have you been active in, if any ? 10. Did you pledge money to WBAI these past 10 years ? 11. Did you pledge to the movement against the corporate take over of Pacifica ? 12. What do you think of the struggle at WBAI ? 13. What do you think of the news at WBAI before the take over by Utrice Leid : 14. What do you think of the news at WBAI after the take over by Utrice Leid ? 15. List five favorite shows you listen to 16. Do you think candidates should be endorsed by Labor Union, 17. What constituency do you hope to represent ? 18. What is your definition of constituency 19. What is your political platform if any 20. What do you think of reparation and how do you feel about America's position vis-ΰ-vis reparation 21. How do you feel about the American Healthcare system 22. In one word or one sentence, describe the role of the USA in the world today V Candidate Statement In addition, please provide a concise 150-word statement which will be included in the ballot materials mailed to all voters and posted on the website. Again, please use a separate sheet; electronic submissions with hardcopies are welcomed. --- In NewPacifica@y..., Mark Hernandez <markh@r...> wrote: > > John: > > You're mixing apples and orangutans here. > > There is confidentiality of a _person_, and transparency of a _process_. > > Radio is, at best, an extremely cut-throat environment outside of > Pacifica. Anyone applying for a Pacifica job who is discovered to have > done so will be canned or "unpromoted" as quickly as is possible, so > that someone "more loyal" to the management in charge can be brought in > or promoted in their place. > > However, as in business and other commercial activities, and even in the > non-profit/charitable organization activities, radio or not, being in > the > "final four" (or whatever the last panel of reviews is) gives that > person an 'edge' at their place of employment...the thinking goes > along the lines of "Hey! If someone _else_ wants them, what could they > do if they were paid more/got more perks/were enticed to _stay_?" > > At that point, confidentiality is not a requirement, though undue > disclosure _might_ be frowned upon (home phone, details of sex life, > personal details unrelated to employment). > > That window between the call for applications and the annoucement of > the "final four" is an extremely common period for all applicants and > the information about them to be limited to whoever the people are > in the screening process...none of that has anything to do with how the > station or network is run, though it should be reviewed to make sure > that the screening is not too restrictive nor too lax from time to time. > > Look at it logistically; if 20 people apply for a position, how long > would it take for _everyone_ in the community to sit down and meet with > or review _every_ candidate? Realistically, that should be done at the > _start_, with community input on what people _want_ in a candidate, > provided it is both legal and relevant to the position, and set up the > screening committee to make sure only those candidates who meet that > criteria move past. > > Up to this point, the _process_ itself is very transparent and very > open, while still protecting the confidentiality of the _person_. > > Once you get past the screening process, _then_ you are dealing with > issues of transparency, and in a manner that outweighs the right of > the _person_ to confidentiality. > > At that point, you _need_ to know what it is that the board/body/leaders > are doing, and whether the candidates are being judged fairly or are > worthy of whatever position it is that they are trying for. > > You also need to know about these people and whether or not you want the > board to consider one, several, all or _none_ of them. > > That's called "lobbying". > > The KPFT LAB was acting as the 'screening committee'...any actual > hiring is going to be done by the iPNB or the ED, with the lobbying > by those who are interested enough to support or condemn particular > candidates. > > What bothers me in this is that this was done to prevent the iPNB from > considering a particular candidate, regardless of his reputation or > statements. > > The iPNB, while partly formed from Houston membership, is not subject > to nor dominated by Houston politics, and could have winnowed away the > chaff from the issue without all the baggage that is attaching to it > now. > > And, until all of the LABs are elected and empowered under the new set > of by-laws, the iPNB is legally the group that can make these decisions > with our _solicited_ input. > > This action bypassed that and short-circuited the process. > > It's no less objectionable than when the old PNB did things by fiat and > without proper input from the rest of the board or the community at > large. > > This should have been done at the iPNB level, not the local level, and > especially _not_ while it is an uneasy truce between the old LAB and > the iLAB, working under the direction of the iPNB. > > > -- > ====================================================================== > Mark Hernandez markh@r... > KFCF Volunteer | FFCF Member/Director | KPFA Volunteer/LAB Member > ====================================================================== > > > John Sheridan wrote: > > > > Dear Jim, > > > > The balance between the needs of privacy and the needs of listeners, and > > between locan and network discourse are of course very critical. However, > > on balance, as a fighter for a more open and accountable Pacifica for the > > past 3 years, I must speak up that anyone, applying for ANY management > > position at ANY Pacifica station to my mind needs to agree a priori to > > their name being made public. > > > > One idea has been raised to create a web site where potential candidates > > can place a CV or other narrative and biographic information so that > > interested listeners, staff and board members can review it. If that isn't > > acceptable, then there will continue to be leaks. Why not have an > > expectation of transparency rather than privacy? Look what privacy has > > gotten us with Ganter, Schubb, Hankins, Leid and others? Let's try > > transparency first, in the new era of an accountable Pacifica? > > > > -- John Sheridan > > > > At 12:10 PM 1/30/2002 -0600, Jim Ellinger wrote: > > >Dear Radio Friends, > > > > > >On behalf of myself and at least one other > > >Austin community radio activist, I hope that > > >we are given the minimum courtesy of not > > >having our applications to the 'T GM position > > >widely distributed, let alone put on line! > > > > > >I'm sure that would be a firing offense in the, > > >uh, normal business world. > > > > > >I must say I fear more anger and evil at > > >KPFT in the near future. > > > > > >Stay the course, > > > > > >Jim Ellinger > > >"Austin Airwaves" > > > > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > > >From: "John Riley" <jr273@c...> > > >To: <WBAIelections@y...> > > >Cc: <grc@P...>; <freepacifica@r...>; > > ><WBAIaction@y...>; <WBAIcoord@y...>; <redlyn@l...> > > >Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 11:55 AM > > >Subject: [grc] The Sounds of Tejas (Texas in Spanish) > > > > > > > > > > I'm glad Lynn Gerry forwarded Jack Valinsky's letter of application > > > > to be General Manager of KPFT. Edwin Johnson's ranted about the > > > > factional world of KPFT while arguing for confidentiality and > > > > autonomy for the station. What about Mr. Valinsky's letter of > > > > application is confidential? Edwin fails to note that with the > > > > exception of "Democracy NOW" no where in Jack Valinsky's letter does > > > > he talk about how he would help insert progressive politics in the > > > > program schedule. Progressive Politics is the heart and soul of > > > > Pacifica. > > > > > > > > While Mr. Valinsky has many skills that would be useful in running > > > > the station and some interesting ideas about increasing listener > > > > audience which need to be investigated, we need more than a > > > > technician in the interim GM slot. > > > > > > > > I think Lyn was correct to flag the "free" nature of the Lesbian/Gay > > > > Pride events in Houston that Mr. Valinsky helped organize. It doesn't > > > > sound like a grass roots parade, Lesbians and Gays don't need > > > > corporate sponsors to have a gay pride celebration. As a gay man I am > > > > very concerned about the gay capitalist trend that is using our > > > > movement as a marketing opportunity. By the time the corporate > > > > sponsors arrive the politics is nearly gone and the sponsors then > > > > have the ability to drive out "undesirable trends" in the LBGT > > > > movement. "Fringe or controversial" sectors of the community then get > > > > driven out in order to maintain sponsorship. I am very concerned > > > > about this kind of mentality continuing to infect Pacifica. > > > > > > > > While Mr. Valinsky mentions previous affiliation with a few groups > > > > that may be progressive he doesn't really talk about their political > > > > work in Houston. > > > > > > > > Pacifica is a national network in crisis. Progressives were among the > > > > first to go at KPFT in 1992 and that kind of situation isn't fixed in > > > > the wink of an eye without forethought. It's been a while since the > > > > station has had a progressive sound. There needs to be some national > > > > discussion about what the qualifications for the local interim GM's > > > > are going to be. > > > > > > > > Our movement is politically undeveloped in some areas. Progressives > > > > from communities of color have been excluded from LA, DC and Houston > > > > for a long time now, and the local boards may need input in > > > > correcting the situation. Input is not solely up to the local areas > > > > when such drastic exclusion has taken place. > > > > > > > > Surely a progressive person of color can be found in the Houston area > > > > with the skills necessary to transform the station. I think a > > > > progressive person of color might look at the program schedule > > > > differently. She or he might ask,"Why is the sound of Texas so > > > > rigidly defined?" Frankly, since when is white honky tonk and country > > > > rock been the only sound of Tejas? (remember that is the spelling in > > > > Spanish, Tejas was stolen from Mexico by white settlers) > > > > > > > > Another question that needs to be asked is "Why is it that mainstream > > > > NPR and PRI programs are to be considered for KPFT when Pacifica > > > > produces some excellent progressive programs that deal with > > > > international and national issues, like KPFA's daily afternoon public > > > > affairs program "Flashpoints" and WBAI's "Our America's," "Asia > > > > Pacific Forum," "Where We Live" and many other fine programs?" The > > > > Houstonian activists didn't win the station on their own, the network > > > > was won because of a national effort lead by KPFA and WBAI activists > > > > with significant pressure in other signal areas, including Houston > > > > and the Pacifica affiliates. We all have a right to input. I believe > > > > that Pacifica needs first and foremost anti-racist, > > > > politically-progressive leadership. Pacifica needs to practice > > > > affirmative action in the hiring process. We need a progressive, > > > > multiracial Pacifica. > > > > > > > > I would like to see Mr. Valinsky (and all candidates for interim GM > > > > at all Pacifica stations) tell the Pacifica Community how they will > > > > help change the program schedule to include political and cultural > > > > programs that serve the needs of the progressive Chicano, Mexicano, > > > > Black, white and immigrant communities in the Houston (and all > > > > Pacifica) listening areas. I also would like to hear about their > > > > connections to Progressive groups and grass roots groups in > > > > communities of color. Race alone is not the issue, anti-racist > > > > progressive politics is. > > > > > > > > Sincerely, > > > > John Riley > > > > > > > > > > > > >X-eGroups-Return: > > > > >sentto-2471391-3000-1012386846-jr273=columbia.edu@r... > > > > >.com > > > > >X-Sender: edi@h... > > > > >X-Apparently-To: WBAIelections@y... > > > > >To: <freepacifica@r...> > > > > >X-Priority: 3 > > > > >From: "Edwin Johnston" <edi@h...> > > > > >X-Yahoo-Profile: edix2001 > > > > >Mailing-List: list WBAIelections@y...; contact > > > > >WBAIelections-owner@y... > > > > >Delivered-To: mailing list WBAIelections@y... > > > > >List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:WBAIelections-unsubscribe@y...> > > > > >Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 04:39:31 -0600 > > > > >Subject: [WBAIelections] Skrewin' the KPFT pooch > > > > >Reply-To: WBAIelections@y... > > > > >Status: > > > > > > > > > >Tuesday, January 29, 2002 was a fateful day for KPFT. On that day the > > >Reign > > > > >of Terror began. > > > > >The whole thing started off when former KPFT general manager (GM) > > >candidate, > > > > >Hep Ingham, returned to his KPFT LAB duties to look over the applications > > > > >for the remaining GM candidates. But Hep wasn't interested in actually > > > > >looking them over. He immediately forwarded one of these highly > > >confidential > > > > >documents to his pal at the Pacifica Cramp-pain, Denis Moynihan, who > > > > >promptly put it up on the net, from what I hear. Then Lyn Gerry got a > > >hold > > > > >of it and spread it around some more. Hep and Denis did their jobs well. > > >Now > > > > >it was up to Lyn to lend her reputation to the theft of these documents > > >from > > > > >the KPFT LAB, and claim some sort of sovereignty over all things > > >Pacifica. > > > > >It was as if Lyn told everyone that she was now queen of KPFT and will > > > > >decide what is right for us. > > > > >But that was just the beginning. I went on the Radio4Houston.org webcast > > > > >Tuesday night and Jeff Blankfort brought up what Lyn had done. I said > > >that > > > > >Lyn was preventing us here in Houston from exercising our right to > > > > >self-determination. Then the s*** began to fly at a hurricane rate. The > > >war > > > > >against those who saved KPFT was on. It came from various people on the > > >air > > > > >wanting to criticize the content of the documents, which they had no > > >right > > > > >to see at all. And Lyn had heavily loaded her comments about the content > > >in > > > > >such a propagandistic fashion, that the other on air people were > > >screaming > > > > >bloody murder about the content, or alleged content of the material. > > > > >When I began to lay out the reasons we in Houston had elected for a > > >certain > > > > >amount of confidentiality in the GM selection process, the very > > >legitimacy > > > > >of the KPFT was called into question. I tried and tried to point out to > > > > >these people the errors they were making in what they were doing and what > > > > >they were standing for, but knew I'd never get anywhere with that crowd, > > >so > > > > >I hung up. > > > > >It just got worse from there. Scooter was ranting and raving on how he > > >will > > > > >continue to spy and undermine what the LAB is doing. GM candidates, Otis > > > > >Hardy Maclay and former KPFT engineer, Bob Chamm, abused the KPFT LAB > > >chair > > > > >and another LAB member in an attempt to alter the GM selection process in > > > > >their favor. Now, this Bob Chamm was the KPFT engineer when I was > > >arrested > > > > >and he was the one responsible for the security camera videotapes, which > > > > >never showed up in my case. And Otis, as many of you know, had long > > >called > > > > >Garland Ganter his friend. > > > > >As if that wasn't enough, Bob Buzzanco, who is the ringleader of this > > >bunch, > > > > >all told, got on the air to call for Dan Jones' removal from the LAB and > > >his > > > > >position as secretary there. And Buzzanco went to great lengths to create > > >an > > > > >impression that Dan Jones and myself had hijacked the local movement. > > >This > > > > >relates to the coming purges by the Buzzanco cabal. > > > > >These people are trying to take power at KPFT, by hook or by crook. > > >They've > > > > >got their little followers like Sheila Harris and Shannon Smith and a few > > > > >supporters, but they ain't got much at all in the way of numbers, which > > > > >should bother them tremendously, but for some strange reason, doesn't. > > > > >They can't purge me because I already quit before the year ended. Dan > > >Jones > > > > >resigned very early on Wednesday from the KPFT LAB due to Buzzanco's > > >insane > > > > >quest for power and control. What the other Houston activists do will > > >likely > > > > >decide things. If they let themselves be snowballed by the Buzzanco Axis > > > > >Powers, then anyone who stands in their way will become a target for > > >abuse. > > > > >But if they see through it, if they recognize how little that tiny group > > >did > > > > >to help the movement to regain Pacifica and how they've been waiting in > > >the > > > > >wings all the while for the right time to strike to seize power, then > > >maybe > > > > >they can put a stop to it. > > > > >But if they don't stop Buzzanco, it spells doom for KPFT, to be sure. > > >This > > > > >group will be equivalent to the French Committee for Public Safety, with > > > > >Buzzanco as their Robespierre. And just as in the French example, it > > >won't > > > > >be long before Buzzanco's head is in the chopper as well and the > > > > >Thermidorian Reaction sets in, a period of intense instabilty and > > > > >corruption, followed by the rise of some sort of Napolean and the > > >eventual > > > > >return to Ganterism. I give it less than five years before we are back to > > > > >where we started if Buzzanco succeeds. > > > > >I haven't been keeping this stuff from the Houston locals. All the while > > > > >I've been telling them about the threat that Buzzanco, Ingham and the > > >rest > > > > >of the anti-democratic bunch posed to the reclamation of KPFT. Well, now > > >the > > > > >critical point is upon us. I hope that the hardworking KPFT activists are > > >up > > > > >to the challenge. And in regards to the national movement, just watch who > > > > >aligns where. We already know where Lyn Gerry stands -- knee deep in the > > > > >cesspool of Buzzancoism. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WBAIelections/members > > > > >Post to: WBAIelections@y... > > > > >Subscribe: WBAIelections-subscribe@y... > > > > >Unsubscribe: WBAIelections-unsubscribe@y... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > > > > > > > > > ############################################### > > > > > > > > This majordomo list has been formed to continue discussion > > > > generated at the Madison GRC-5 and the Boulder GRC-6 > > > > conferences. Subscribers to <grc@p...> may choose to > > > > receive a digest format where several posts are bundled > > > > together in a single email . > > > > > > > > Consensus is that news items do NOT belong in the > > > > grc list unless they relate to the GRC mission. > > > > > > > > Those seeking subscribe/unsubscribe -and other information may post the > > > > message -- intro grc --to <majordomo@p...>. > > > > > > > > > > > > > >- > > >This message comes via the freepacifica list. To subscribe or unsubscribe, > > >send a single word email to freepacifica-request@r... > > > > - > > This message comes via the freepacifica list. To subscribe or unsubscribe, > > send a single word email to freepacifica-request@r... ------------------------ Yahoo! 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